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Budget Friendly Design Tips

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Budget Friendly is my middle name!

Now let me share 10 of my budget friendly design tips:

Finding My Style

I don’t like spending money, but I like a pretty house.

I am going to share some tips that I’ve used in my home and hopefully show you ways that you can create a beautiful home on a budget.

Living Room

I love live plants, comfy furniture, things you can prop your feet on.  I’d say my style is casual, comfy, collected. When I’m out shopping, my home is always on my mind.  I get inspiration from anywhere.

Let me share a few tips that I’ve used for my budget friendly, beautiful to me home.

fiddle leaf fig

When I saw this picture, I knew I had to have a fiddle leaf fig tree, but one this size is way out of my budget!

Tip 1.  Make a list of ideas/needs/wants and keep it with you all the time.  I checked  with several nurseries around town and none of them had the fiddle leaf.  One day while grocery shopping, I saw a pallet of plants in the produce section.  Low and behold there they were.  You never know where you’re going to find what you’re looking for.  I can’t wait for my baby to grow up,  it will freak my husband out, but that’s ok.

my baby fiddle leaf fig

This was 2 years ago and here’s what they look like now:

Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree

They are doing great and have at least doubled in size 🙂  I actually bought 3.  I was worried that I might kill them off slowly, but I didn’t.  In fact I gave one to my Mama!

Sofa

Tip 2.  If you find yourself buying lots of sofas over your lifetime, think about it!  I can’t tell you how many patterned sofas I went through before I realized that I like solid colored ones.  With a solid colored sofa you can change your pillows, rug or curtains anytime or all the time and the room still looks great.

Dining Room

Tip 3.  If you’re drawn to a certain thing and have a lot of silver like I do, find a way to showcase it. Every time I go into a junk/antique store, I am drawn to silver trays.  I was inspired to hang my collection on the wall via a Pottery Barn catalog.

Animals

Tip 4.  If you like farm animals or animals in general don’t be afraid to hang one in the dining room.  And if you can’t find a rug that you love for the dining area, don’t just buy anything.  It’s ok to have nothing as opposed to wasting money on something you don’t love. Buy what you love, use what you love and be patient 🙂

Silver

I love silver, I think I already mentioned that, which brings me to another one of my collections.  If you are a collector, find a way to incorporate them for everyday.

I thought about my serving dishes, you know all those bowls and platters stacked in the cabinet. I came up with a brilliant idea and it started with those awesome Wilton Armetale pieces that people give for wedding gifts?  Well you can use them everyday and I find them at Goodwill all the time.  Crazy right, that stuff is expensive!  I’ve been replacing utilitarian items like the common bowl with awesome shiny -keep your food cold or hot- Wilton Armetale.  Which leads to:

Tip 5.  If you have a large collection of things, let them take the place of something else.  It frees up space for all your ironstone.

Dining Room

Thrifted Pottery Barn round rug, a table found in pieces in a dark corner in a dusty back room of an antique store, a headboard and an end table bench resulted in a fun comfortable breakfast room.  Makes me proud, long ago I was embarrassed for people to know where my stuff came from.  No more, I think it shows that I’m responsible with my money and it lets my DIY style shine through.

Bedroom

You don’t have to have every wall filled, our bedroom only has 4 things hanging on the wall.  Very calming.

Tip 6.  Don’t fill every wall.

Bedroom

Tip 7.  Don’t have clutter on every surface.  Let it breathe.

Corbels

Tip 8.  Buy accessories that you can use all year long.

Spring

Christmas

The corbels never left the room 🙂

Back porch

Tip 9. If you’re going to spend money, spend it on things that last.  This patio set is 10 years old and I have another one down on the dock that’s 17 years old.  They are both made of metal and I really got a lot of bang for the buck on them!  You can always change out the cushions, pillow, and spray paint a free garden stool, if you want to change things up!

Leather sofa

Tip 10.  Use leather in the Man Cave, and your dog will love you forever.

Murphy relaxed

Tip 11. Be happy with your purchases, love them and you’ll want to keep them forever.  You’ll just move them from room to room, paint them and refresh them when you need a change.

I had so much fun with y’all today! I’m on Pinterest, Instagram, FB, Twitter….just about everywhere!  Come see me 🙂

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out all my Budget Friendly DIY Projects.

    23 thoughts on “Budget Friendly Design Tips”

    1. I have another tip that has saved me a ton, But items on end of season sales. My biggest hits have been getting rugs and patio furniture. Go at the end of August/start of school. If you see a set on the floor you like, offer to buy it at a big discount. I have stained concrete floors, a kid and pets. So I don’t buy $$$ rugs. But now companies make beautiful indoor/outdoor rugs, and basic, always choc natural sisal rugs are a STEAL at the end of Summer! Look at big box hardware type stores like Lowes, they have suprisingly good rugs, patio furniture, planters/baskets, you can save a ton with these ideas!

      Reply
    2. You have a lovely home & a great eye. I’m a little obsessed with the mirror over the fireplace. Do you remember where you got it?

      Reply
    3. Your home is so lovely! Those are some great tips! This is the second time this week I saw fiddle leafs on someone’s blogs.! Never heard of them, now I want one! have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Linda

      Reply
    4. Debbie , love your post! Just started following you on Pinterest and under your Best Desserts board, I tried to find the board cover recipe but couldn’t. Can you help?? Thanks so much and I look forward to reading more!

      Nancy

      Reply

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